This invention relates generally to a mechanism for attaching strings to a musical instrument such as a guitar and more particularly to a bridge for attaching such strings to a musical instrument where the bridge is connected to the instrument through a dual compression system.
Guitar strings are attached to guitars through a variety of mechanisms, one of the most common types of mechanism being a bridge that is screwed down to the top of the instrument body. The strings pass through the back section of the bridge and pull the bridge up and away from the body. While a common use of this bridge would be in combination with a guitar, it is foreseeable that the bridge could be used with a variety of stringed instruments other than guitars.
Another type of attaching means is comprised of a combination of a guitar bridge and a bridge member, wherein the strings pass over the bridge and are attached to the guitar through a series of pins located adjacent the guitar bridge. This mechanism is illustrated in the patent issued to Yairi, U.S. Pat. No. 4,807, 508.
The patent issued to Mayer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,130, which is directed to a xe2x80x9cString Lock For Acoustical Instrumentsxe2x80x9d shows still a different type of attachment means. The Mayer device is for a guitar bridge having an upper and lower portion that are attached to the guitar, usually by glue. Located on the opposite side of the lower portion is a plurality of string locks. A bore extends through the upper portion, the guitar, the lower portion and the string lock. The guitar string is strung through the bore and held within a circular depression on the lower side of the lower portion. The drawback of this invention is that the strings pull the upper portion of the device away from the guitar.
A somewhat different approach to string attachment mechanism can be found in U. S. Pat. No. 5,477,764, issued to Carrico, which discloses a mechanism composed of two hollow-core attachment cylinders that fit matingly, one inside the other. The first cylinder is frictionally engaged with the guitar bridge. The string is strung through the second cylinder, which then fit within the first cylinder and locked into place. When the second cylinder is placed within the first cylinder, the string is frictionally locked in place between the first cylinder and the second cylinder.
While there are many other ways of attaching strings to the face of a musical instrument, most consist of attaching the musical instrument bridge directly to the musical instrument through screws, glue, and the like. In most of the commonly known methods, the bridge is subject to the pressures of the strings pulling the bridge forward and away from the face of the musical instrument wherein the bridge eventually separates from the musical instrument.
The present invention offsets the forces applied to the musical instrument bridge that force the bridge to separate from the musical instrument by using a dual compression system wherein pressure is applied to the opposite side of the musical instrument bridge from the strings so as to apply a force on the opposite side of the musical instrument bridge from the side that receives direct pressure from the strings themselves.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a guitar bridge that is attached to the musical instrument with a dual compression system.
The dual compression system is achieved by a guitar bridge having a body comprised of a base and a main portion with a plurality of slots formed in the main portion of the body. A plurality of holes are formed in the body and located within the plurality of slots. A resonance chamber is formed in the main portion of the body. A plurality of coupling screws secure the body of the bridge to the body of the musical instrument. Strings are threaded through the bridge and through the compression screws so that dual compression of the bridge is achieved with the use of a two-way pressure system formed by the pressure of the coupling screws and the instrument strings.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.